Buy-and-Make Plan to Arm Jets With Indigenous Weapons by Year-End

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-02 12:46:00

In a massive leap toward bolstering national airspace defense and expanding domestic aerospace manufacturing, the government's procurement of 114 new Rafale multi-role fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) has entered its decisive final stages. The central government is moving swiftly to finalize this landmark defense acquisition by the end of the current financial year. According to Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who also serves as the Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), technical and commercial proposals submitted by aviation manufacturers are undergoing rigorous evaluation, with a firm, binding procurement decision expected before the close of 2026. Setting this deal apart from earlier fly-away procurements, the incoming fleet will be assembled primarily on Indian soil and integrated with a formidable array of home-grown weapons, sensors, and avionics systems developed under the Make in India initiative.

Make in India at the Forefront: Local Assembly and Indigenous Weapons Integration

The blueprint for the 114-jet acquisition reflects a decisive shift toward deep domestic manufacturing and indigenous firepower:

Expanding on Naval Rafale Precedent: France has already formally agreed to integrate Indian indigenous weapon suites into the 26 Rafale Marine (Rafale-M) combat jets procured for the Indian Navy under the ₹63,000-crore inter-governmental contract signed in April 2025.

Under the Buy-and-Make Framework: The upcoming 114-fighter contract will push indigenization even further, structured under a comprehensive Buy-and-Make (Indian) model where the vast majority of the aircraft will be assembled in India through strategic industrial partnerships.

Domestic Weaponry and Avionics: The platform will feature large-scale indigenous technological integration, enabling the fighters to deploy Indian-developed long-range air-to-air missiles, precision-guided munitions, anti-radiation weapons, and domestic electronic warfare pods.

Focus on 5th-Gen AMCA and Tejas Mk2: No Foreign Stealth Programs

Addressing long-term air combat development, the Defence Secretary offered critical updates regarding India's premier indigenous fighter development projects:

No Foreign 5th-Gen Tie-Ups: Dispelling speculation about India joining any overseas fifth-generation fighter program, the Defence Secretary confirmed that the country's complete strategic and financial focus remains dedicated to the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.

AMCA Vendor Proposals Invited: The stealth AMCA program has officially advanced to the stage where commercial and technical bids have been invited from shortlisted industrial vendors; the government has granted additional time requested by bidders to accommodate the extreme engineering complexities of 5th-generation stealth systems.

Tejas Mk2 First Flight Mid-2027: The indigenous Tejas Mk2 (MWF) medium-weight fighter is slated to conduct its maiden test flight by the middle of next year, following which the Indian Air Force will launch extensive flight evaluations and operational envelope testing on incoming prototypes.

Rebuilding Squadron Strength: Tejas Mk1A Delivery Surge and GE Engine Supplies

With the operational fighter strength of the Indian Air Force dipping to a critical low of 29 active squadrons against a sanctioned authorization of 42, the military is banking heavily on accelerated deliveries of modern combat jets:

180 Tejas Mk1A Aircraft in the Pipeline: The IAF is eagerly anticipating deliveries of 180 Tejas Mk1A fighters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), alongside the naval batch of 26 Rafale-M fighters, to arrest fleet depletion caused by phased retirements of older Soviet-origin jets.

HAL Production Status: HAL already has 27 airframes ready, with 11 GE F404 engines received and another 16 airframes flown under canopy engine configurations.

GE Deliveries on Track: With General Electric committing to supply four F404 engines per month, 12 more propulsion units will arrive this year, enabling the induction of at least one operational squadron of Tejas Mk1A before year-end.

Target 2033 for Total Fleet Delivery: HAL is ramping up manufacturing capacity to produce 24 combat aircraft annually, putting the state-run aerospace major on track to complete both existing orders—comprising the original batch of 83 jets and the subsequent order of 97 aircraft—fully by 2033.

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